Business Groups Ask SCOTUS to Review $2.1 Billion J&J Talc Award

Business groups, defense attorney organizations, and others urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a $2.1 billion verdict in a Missouri Johnson & Johnson talc case, challenging the consolidation of 22 cases for trial, the Missouri court’s exercise of jurisdiction, and the punitive award.

Improper joinder of plaintiffs is a recurring problem and likely to be exacerbated by the “backlog of cases resulting from the shuttering of most trial courts during the pandemic,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and others said in an amicus brief filed Monday.

The women who sued J&J alleged their use of ...